Article: Plantar Fasciitis By Dr. Mark Cucuzzella

[Jesse James]

Great ArticleDr. Mark Cucuzzella,

I published a blog on treating plantar fasciitis on the same day, although mine was focused primarily on self treatment. I am happy to see you focused much more on shoe transition and corrective exercise. I would love to hear your feedback on my article Self Treatment For Plantar Fasciitis. Have a great weekend.

Jesse James Retherford

http://www.tao-fit.com

 

[macmhagan]

I hadPlantar Fasciitis in my left foot fifteen years ago and saw a podiatrist who fitted me with a heel cup which worked great.

Recently the same foot flared up again. I started barefoot running last year, but since I had plantar fascitis many years before I had even heard of barefoot running, I did not blame the current flare up on going barefoot. In fact, to cure it this time I didn't even put my heel cup back on I pursued going barefoot even more. I continued to run - actually running was more comfortable than walking because I don't heel strike when I run. I tried massage with a bottle, but I was massaging right on the heel, which seemed to make it worse so I stopped that. Basically, stretching every morning, and dialing back my running miles was my treatment and it worked.



Thanks for the articles I learned some things to try if it ever flares up again.

 

[Saltbarn Athletic]

Thank you for your fantastic article. Practically all the advice it contains matches up with the weapons in my PF-fighting armoury, accummulated through a long and depressing 16-month bout. When it first reared its ugly head, 3 weeks before Edinburgh marathon last spring, I iced it, stretched my calves, rested and so on. Nothing doing. I then went to see a physio, who got me doing loads of core exercises (many of which I'd already been doing - he just told me to do more) and when that didn't work, another physio, who taped it up. A few months on and the problem was the same. So I went to see a podiatrist, who put me in orthotics, custom-made. (I'd started running barefoot a littlein 2007 and had been wearing minimal footwear(Vivo Barefoot) since then.) There I was, back in 'trainers' with orthotics - mind you, I'd have worn a jester's hat if I thought it was going to get me back to running again.... I felt miserable and as if I could barely remember how to run with all this 'stuff' under my feet. And, still no difference. I limped on for a few more months before deciding that if natural running was what I believed in, then I should stick to my guns. So I got rid of the orthotics, started working on my foot strength (and just as importantly, mobility), got myself a set of CorrectToes and stayed barefoot as much as possible. I also took the Vivo Barefoot 'Barefoot Running' Coach course in June with the eminent Lee Saxby. THIS time, if my foot hurt, I didn't rush back to orthotics, I just put on my Vivos and lived with it. Over the past 4 months, my pain has diminished more than at any other time and I am able to run more regularly than any time since the problem began. Arch support is a red herring - and most podiatrists who prescribe orthotics automatically assume that runners land on the heel and roll through. If you tell them otherwise, they look a bit worried and then go on extolling the virtues of orthotics. I ran a 21.47min 5km at the weekend - not my best by a long stretch but so happy to be back on track. Mobilise your toes, especially the big one, check out CorrectToes, work on form and stay barefoot!